Refrigerator tray



April 9, 1935. I J. P. KILLGORE 1,997,220

REFRIGERATOR TRAY Filed Dec. 29, 1932 (Ittorneg Cil Patented Apr. 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT' vorner.:

REFBIGERATOR TRAY John P. AKillgox'e, Fort Collins, Colo. Application December 29, 1932, Serial No. 649,418

2 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator trays and aims to provide an improved egg tray having many advantages as explained in the description which follows. 4

In the accompanying drawing, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention,-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the body of the tray;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the complete tray, showing it supported on the shelf rods of a refrigerator;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the egg carriers which are used with the tray; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the tray, showing it suspended from a refrigerator shelf, eggs being indicated in dotted lines.

Referring particularly to the drawing, there is shown a tray comprising a body having a bottom 5 and two longitudinal side walls Ii bent up from the bottom. 'Ihe tray body is best made of some rust-proof metal, such as aluminum, chromiumplated steel, Monel metal or the like, although it may be of enameled sheet metal. The dimensions of the. tray body are preferably such that it may support one dozen eggs, placed on end as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, with all the eggs fully enclosed and hence protected by the tray body. The upper edges of the side Walls 6 are rolled over to form beads 1 which not only strengthen the tray body and obviate injury from ordinary handling to the side walls, but also provide guides for the rolled edges 8 of a cover 9, which is slid on and olf the tray by pushing or pulling. The purpose of the cover 9 is to protect the contents of the tray and also to provide a shelf on which a second dozen of veggs may be supported, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

To hold the eggs properly spaced from each other and from the walls of the tray body, an egg carrier I is provided and is so shaped that it may be supported directly on the bottom 5. A second egg carrier I0 may be supported directly on top of the cover 9. 'Ihe egg carriers are of sheet metal or the like and have round perforations II punched in their faces so as to receive the eggs endwise, as shown in the dotted lines already referred to. Each carrier has a pair of legs I2 preferably formed by bending down the longitudinal edges of the sheet metal, and adapted to rest on the support or 9 as the case may be, thus holding the eggs spaced above said support, so that the carrier with its full complement of eggs may be slid on and off its support. Upturned end flanges I3 will facilitate removal and replacement of the carriers.

When the tray is to be supported on a shelf,

a tongue I4, cut out of the bottom 5, may be bent down, as shown in Fig. 2 and engaged with the refrigerator shelf I5. Thus when the shelf is withdrawn, the tray may travel with it. If it is desired to suspend the tray from a shelf, wire arms I6, one of which is located at each upper corner of the tray body, are bent upwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and then bent at the extremities to form hooks I6 to engage over the wire of the shelf. Preferably the wire arms I6 are the end portions of two heavy wires which are gripped by being within the rolled beads l, as shown in Fig. 4.

Among the advantages of the described tray are, the fact that it will hold and protect eggs in any type of refrigerator; that it is sanitary and easily removed and washed; that it conserves space and yet makes the eggs accessible when wanted; and that it may be used to hold other foodstuffs either with or without eggs. If desired, two trays may be used, one directly above the other, the upper one being supported, as shown in Fig. 2 and the lower like the one ilustrated in Fig. 4; and four dozen eggs will then be stored in a very small space. Upon removal of a few eggs and replacement with fresh ones, the older eggs may be kept in the foreground by merely reversing the carrier end for end. The open ends of the tray make it reversible and permit inspection of its contents and free circulation of air about them.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described.

What I claim iszl. A tray comprising, in combination, a body having a bottom and side Walls but open at both ends; an egg carrier slidably supported on and with egg-carrying means spaced above said bottom and removable from either end; said egg carrier being constructed and arranged for holding eggs spaced from each other and fromthe bottom; and a slidable cover shaped like a tray with raised longitudinal edges and closing the top of the tray body, said cover being so shaped and of such dimensions that it will support a second egg carrier exactly like the carrier on the tray bottom, so that two egg carriers may be carried by the tray or a single egg carrier may be supported either on top or on the bottom of the tray; any such egg carrier being confined against lateral movement by the sides of the tray or the raised edges of the cover.

2. A tray comprising, in combination, a body having a bottom and side walls but open at both ends; an egg carrier slidably supported on said bottom and removable from either end; said egg carrier holding the eggs spaced from each other; bendable arms xed at the upper corners of the tray body and adapted to be bent to provide hang- 5 ers for the tray; a sldable cover closing the top of the tray body; and a second egg carrier similar to the rst named carrier and slidably supported on the cover; said cover having yraised sides extending longitudinally and the carrier having longitudinal flanges comprising legs which hold the carrier spaced above its support and co-operate with the raised sides to hold the carrier against lateral movement.

JOHN P. KILLGORE. 

